Everything Changes
by Start-meltdown
Summary: What happens when a mother and daughter reunite after years apart? When a Bastion is far too curious for its own good? An emotionless assassin begins to have flashbacks of her past? (Prequel to Human)
1. Reunion

_Hey everyone_

 _So bit of housekeeping first. This is the prequel to my other story, Human, that explains the events that happened six months before it starts._

 _If you enjoy this short story, then feel free to check out Human too :)_

 _Now, on with the show._

 **Reunion**

Egypt- Fareeha Amari's house- 8:29

It was early in the morning and the sun was hitting the curtains of Fareeha's bedroom. Fareeha was still in deep sleep, which was unusual for this time of day. Normally, she was out of the house and at work by now.

As the clock struck 8:30, an alarm filled the room, dragging Fareeha out of her deep slumber. She slowly began to open her eyes as her alarm clock continued to do its job. When her eyes were open, she gently rolled over to the right side of the bed and reached over to the nearby counter, turning off the alarm.

It didn't take Fareeha long to get herself out of bed, following her usual routine of showering, getting dressed and then making herself something for breakfast. Most days, she only had time for something quick, such as a bowl of cereal or a couple pieces of toast. Today was different however. Fareeha had booked herself the entire week off, so she had a lot more time on her hands this morning. Once dressed, Fareeha made her way downstairs, deciding to cook herself some scrambled eggs, to go with her toast.

Despite having the extra time this morning, Fareeha still had plans. Angela was coming over to visit for a few days and she was due to arrive later today. They'd agreed to meet in a nearby cafe for lunch and then stroll around the local shops, before she went back to her hotel for the night.

The two had become very good friends after her mother died. Angela had comforted Fareeha and helped her through the entire ordeal. Their close friendship meant they always tried to keep in contact as best they could. It had become a little more difficult recently though. Angela was working with Overwatch again, so she had a lot more going on as of late. However, she always found some time to visit Fareeha, even if it was for a day or two.

Before she reached the kitchen, Fareeha passed by the front door, stopping to pick up a few letters that had been delivered a short while ago. Most were simply bills or junk mail. However, one envelope caught her attention. It wasn't formal looking and her address had been written on by hand.

Fareeha made her way into the kitchen, sitting herself down at the table. She placed the rest of the letters to one side, focusing on the one she currently had in her hands. She'd received a letter similar to this one quite some time ago. At first she didn't know who it was from. Once she opened it and began reading though, her entire world was turned upside down.

That day, she found out that her mother was still alive. For years, she'd spent every day looking for any sign of her mother, trying desperately to find her. She couldn't believe she was dead, even after everyone else had accepted it. She had no way of confirming it was Ana who'd written that letter but she just knew it was her. She hadn't told anyone about it though, not even Angela.

Without even opening it, Fareeha had a suspicion who this letter was from. As she opened the envelope and took the letter out, her suspicion was proven correct. Slowly, she began reading, taking her time to absorb what was written.

 _My dearest Fareeha_

 _It has been quite some time since my last letter. I wish I could write to you more often, to give you a way of contacting me. Yet, I know it would be too dangerous to do this and I will not put you in harms way._

 _Despite this, I know that you continue to look for me, continue to search for anything that would lead you to me. I also know that you will not stop until you succeed. Therefore, I will give you the opportunity to end your search, once and for all._

 _I have found myself in your area and I am certain there is no risk revealing myself to you. At the bottom of this letter is a location. I am aware you have some time off from your work. So if you wish to, meet me at this location, midday, tomorrow._

 _This is your decision Fareeha and I will not force you to do this. Yet, I hope that you accept my offer. Maybe then, I can begin to heal the rift that has formed between us._

 _Your mother_

 _Ana_

When she was finished reading, Fareeha just sat, staring at the letter. She honestly didn't know what to do. Before, she wanted nothing more than to find her mother. Now that the opportunity had presented itself, she didn't know if she could do it.

She looked over to the clock and saw that it was now 8:48. She forced herself away from the letter and towards the fridge, finding herself some eggs. She knew she needed to talk to someone. Angela understood what this meant to her. She was the only person she could trust with this.

Later that day

Fareeha was currently sat in the cafe she was meeting Angela at. She was sitting outside, with a partially drank cup of coffee. As usual, Fareeha was early and Angela wasn't due for another five minutes. This gave her time to think back over the letter and what it said.

She still didn't know what she wanted to do. Her uncertainty had actually worsened since the morning and she was now beginning to doubt if the letter was even from her mother. She knew how many people would use her to get to Overwatch. She shuddered at the idea that this was all just a plot to kidnap her and force Overwatch to act.

"A-hem"

Fareeha's train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice. She looked up and saw Angela, who had managed to walk up without her even noticing. Fareeha quickly stood up and gave Angela a big hug.

"Ang. So good to see you again."

"Its good to see you again too. But why do I get the feeling that something's bothering you?"

"That obvious, huh?"

"The fact I managed to walk straight up to you without you seeing me was a bit of a giveaway." Angela lightheartedly replied, as the two sat down at the table. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Actually, I was hoping we could."

A waitress walked over to the table, taking Angela's order. A few minutes later, she returned with a fresh cup of coffee and a plate of biscuits. The two women each took one from the plate and Angela gently began stirring her drink, pouring in some sugar as she did so.

"So, what's going on Faree?" Angela asked, taking a sip of her drink once she was satisfied it was ready.

Fareeha took a deep breath, thinking of how best to tell Angela. After a moment, she decided to just tell her and not dress it up.

"Okay... So a few months ago I received a letter in the post... It was from my mother."

Angela went wide eyed, placing her drink back down on the table. She wasn't expecting this to be the issue. "Ana... Oh my... Why didn't you tell me Faree?"

"I... I didn't want to worry you. I knew you were busy with Overwatch and I thought I could handle it myself."

Angela gently moved her hand forward, letting Fareeha take hold of it. "Faree, I would have been straight over. I know what this means to you and I know you've been looking for her for years now. This isn't something you should have been going through alone."

"I know... I'm sorry Ang. I just... didn't know how to tell you."

Angela gave Fareeha a smile. "It's okay. Are you sure it was from your mother?"

"I was... until this morning... I got another letter today... She wants to meet me tomorrow Ang."

"Are you going to?"

"I... I don't know. I thought I wanted to find her but now I have the chance to... I don't know if I can do it."

Angela let out a breath. "Okay. Why?"

"Well, there's the risk that it's just someone trying to use me to get to her or Overwatch."

"But what if it isn't?"

Fareeha stopped and thought for a moment. "Even if it is her... it's a bit risk."

"Okay. What if I called in some backup then?"

"Backup?"

"Lena. You know her and she'll be more than willing to help out. Me and her will stay on the sidelines and make sure you're okay. If anything happens, we'll be there... Does that put that concern to one side?"

Fareeha slowly nodded. "Yeah, it does... I'm still not sure though... I've not seen her for years... What if I say something I regret?"

"She'll understand. After so long, you deserve to know what happened and why she's been gone. That's probably why she wants to see you, to give you the answers you need."

Fareeha sighed. "I don't know Ang... I just don't know if I can face her..."

"Faree, you need to see her. You two have been separated for so long and I'm guessing she wants to try and make amends. Please... do it for me."

Fareeha looked up, seeing Angela looking straight at her. She didn't need to say anything else. "Okay... I'll do it."

Angela gave Fareeha another smile, this one much larger than the last. "That's the Fareeha Amari I know." Angela now reached for her phone, dialling Lena. She knew Lena was still at Watchpoint Gibraltar, so it wouldn't be difficult for her to get over to Egypt with such short notice.

"Hey Ang." Lena answered in her normal cheerful manner. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, thank you." Angela replied. "I was wondering if you could help me out?"

"Yeah, sure I can. What do you need?"

"Is there any chance you can get yourself over here? I'll explain when you're here but in brief, Fareeha and I need a little backup."

"Sure thing. I have a few things I need to finish over here but they shouldn't take long. I'll be over as soon as I can."

"Thanks Lena. Oh and can you bring my equipment over as well. I might need it."

"Okay... must be serious then. I'll call you when I'm nearby there. See you two soon."

With that, Lena ended the call. Angela was glad that she could rely on Lena at any time. She could also see that the call had put Fareeha's mind at ease and she visibly relaxed, now knowing that Lena was also willing to help.

"Are you a bit calmer now?" Angela asked.

"Yeah... a bit. Thanks Ang. Sorry that this has taken over your visit."

"Don't worry about it. I'm more than willing to help you out. Besides, we have a bit of time before Lena arrives, so you can still take me around for a bit of shopping."

Fareeha Amari's house- 2 hours later

It was a few hours before Lena contacted Angela again, which gave her and Fareeha time to browse the shops. They even managed to find a small bakery and found something for lunch. In the end, neither woman bought much, the most notable purchases being a pair of new shoes for Angela and a pair of new sunglasses for Fareeha.

After a couple of hours had passed, Lena finally contacted Angela and the two women began to make their way towards Fareeha's house. When they arrived, they found Lena outside, leaning against the frame of the front door. There was also a large duffel bag next to her, which contained Angela's Valkyrie suit and her Caduceus staff.

"Hey you two. Have a good time?" Lena said, smiling as she pushed herself up from the doorframe.

"Yes, it was a nice afternoon." Angela replied. "Thanks for coming Lena."

"No problem. So, what's going on?"

"I'll explain inside." Fareeha said, as she stepped towards the door. She retrieved her keys from her pocket and unlocked it, the three stepping inside and taking a seat in the living room.

Fareeha took her time explaining the situation to Lena, making sure she told her every detail she thought important. Lena was unusually quiet during Fareeha's explanation, not interrupting or making any jokes. She simply sat and listened. Once the story was finished, Lena leaned back into her chair, rubbing her eyes as she thought over the situation.

"Well... I wasn't expecting this."

"Which I why I called you Lena." Angela explained. "I didn't want everyone at Overwatch knowing just yet but I knew we needed some help."

Lena looked over to Fareeha. "Don't worry luv, I have your back."

"Thanks Lena. So what's the plan then?" Fareeha asked Angela, suspecting that she had thought of something.

"It's not a majorly impressive plan." Angela admitted. "You said you had a location, right?"

"Yeah. It's not too far away and it's in the open."

"Good. I think you should go to that location tomorrow. Me and Lena will stay nearby but out of sight, ready to jump in if we need to. Hopefully it doesn't come to that."

"Hopefully." Fareeha said, imagining how the meeting could simply be a trap. She pushed the thought aside, not wanting to think about it. She knew that with Angela and Lena here, she was in safe hands.

The next day- 11:45

Fareeha, Angela and Lena were heading to the location given in the letter. The area was a small market square, with a number of stalls that were selling various different items, such as food and clothes. It was relatively busy here, with a number of people coming and going. Fortunately, it wasn't so busy that Angela and Lena considered they'd lose sight of Fareeha.

The three had decided to take a quieter route to their destination, wanting to keep themselves hidden for as long as possible. The sight of Lena always attracted attention, due to her accelerator. However, the sight of Mercy dressed in her armour and holding her staff as well would have likely been enough to put people into a panic.

Fareeha meanwhile was dressed normally, wearing a pair of jeans, a white t-shirt and a small, light grey jacket. Out of the three, she was the least likely to draw any attention.

As they neared the market, they walked into a nearby alley, making sure they weren't spotted. Lena quickly noticed a metal fire escape, that gave easy access to the rooftops.

"Might be a good idea if we head up there." Lena told Angela, pointing upwards. "We'd likely have a good view of the area."

"Good point. I'll be up in a second."

Lena nodded, running towards the metal stairway and climbing up the side of the building, stopping at the edge of the roof.

"Are you okay?" Angela asked Fareeha, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I'll be sat on that bench opposite the market."

The two shared a quick hug, before Angela activated her Valkyrie suit and flew up to Lena. Fareeha now walked out of the alley, moving herself towards a bench just outside of the square and sitting herself down. She knew Lena and Angela could she her clearly here and she was still in view of the market.

She sat in the same place for a little over half an hour, waiting for someone to walk up to her. Yet no one did. In the end, Fareeha ended up on her phone, browsing the internet and looking through the latest news. It was only when a shadow appeared in front of her that she looked up.

Fareeha stood herself up, looking straight into the face an older woman. A lot of her features were hidden due to the cloak she was wearing, yet Fareeha could see that she had an eye patch over one of her eyes. Even without any words said, she knew who this person was.

"Mum?"

The older woman gave her a warm smile. "Hello Fareeha. It's been too long."

There were a number of things Fareeha wanted to say. She wanted to know where her mother had been all this time. Why she left her in the dark until now. However, right now, with her mother standing in front of her, all of those questions were pushed aside. She grabbed her mother and hugged her tightly, a few tears escaping from her eyes.

Ana soon returned the gesture, wrapping her arms around her daughter. "I'm sorry Fareeha. I'm sorry for being gone for so long."

"Where have you been? All this time... why didn't you contact me?" Fareeha didn't raise her voice. Not once. She was worried she might have, that years of grief would have come bursting out. Instead, she was calm, happy that she finally found her mum.

Ana looked down slightly and Fareeha couldn't help but wonder if it was in shame. "I failed Fareeha. I failed Overwatch. I failed my team. I failed you. After losing my eye, I needed time."

"What happened mum?" Fareeha asked softly.

The two women sat down on the bench and Ana took a deep breath before she answered. "My team was attacked by a Talon sniper. I was unable to protect them. I went after the sniper, alone, which was a complete mistake. I know now that the sniper was Widowmaker. Yet, when I saw her for the first time... I hesitated... by the time I realised she was aiming at me... it was too late... The shot ended up hitting the scope of my rifle, shattering it and costing me my eye."

Fareeha was left confused. "I don't understand. It was Widowmaker. You could have stopped her, killed her there and then. Why did you hesitate?"

Ana didn't answer for a moment, letting out another audiable breath. "Because I knew who she was... Widowmaker is Amelie Lacroix."

Fareeha was left speechless. As a child, she knew some of the high up members of Overwatch, such as Morrison and Reyes. She knew who Amelie and her husband, Gerard were as well, though she didn't really speak to Amelie much. She mostly gave Fareeha welcoming smiles and occasionally said hello. Fareeha thought that her and Gerard were so happy together, so she couldn't believe that the heartless Widowmaker that she'd heard so much about was really Amelie.

"It can't be. There's no way it's her."

"It is. I saw it with my own eyes... That's why I hesitated. I couldn't believe it myself. The woman that we knew is gone... she died a long time ago. Now all that's left is a cold, calculated killer. She nearly killed me. I think it's more through luck that she didn't."

"Maybe she's still in there." Fareeha suggested.

"I don't know Faree. I saw into her eyes and there was nothing but pure hatred and anger in them. As much as I want it to be otherwise, I think Amelie is gone..."

There was a slight pause, before Ana continued.

"There's something else you need to know. Do you remember Gabriel?"

"Of course. Didn't he die in Switzerland?" Fareeha replied.

Ana's head lowered again. "Not exactly. Gabriel and Jack ended up attacking each other. The base was destroyed but Reyes survived. Though, he isn't the same man anymore. He became a monster. He became Reaper."

This revelation shocked Fareeha even more. As a kid, Gabriel would sneak bags of sweets into the base and give them to her, saying that it was 'their little secret.' Fareeha just couldn't bring herself to see him as Reaper. He was pure evil, not the Gabriel Reyes she remembered.

"How? How did he become that?"

"I don't know. No one does. All I know is that both Reyes and Amelie are not the same people we knew. If you see them, you don't hesitate. You put them down or you stay out of their way."

Fareeha just nodded her head. "Reyes used to give me those sweets... What happened..?"

"Him and Jack fell out. Things hadn't been great between them for some time. It just ended in the worst way possible."

"Was that the reason you didn't want me to join Overwatch?" Fareeha asked, gaining a small sigh from her mother.

"I've been a soldier for a long time and I've seen things I never wanted you to experience. You were always surrounded by heroes and they filled your head with stories. I was worried you would end up making a decision you'd regret. All I wanted was for you to have a normal life, one where you got a job, fell in love and just enjoyed it. I never wanted your life to be defined by the military, like mine was. I realise now that I was too harsh on you. Despite everything, I want you to know that I'm proud of you Fareeha. I'm proud that you followed your heart and did what you wanted."

Fareeha was left speechless. For years, she felt like she couldn't live up to her mother's expectations and that whatever she did was wrong in her eyes. To hear her say that she was proud of her, proud that she followed the path she wanted to, meant the world to her. She pulled her mother into another hug, tears in her eyes.

"Thank you. Hearing that means so much to me."

Meanwhile, Angela and Lena were knelt down on a rooftop overlooking the bench. Both of them had smiles on their faces, as the two Amari's hugged it out, then returned to their conversation.

"Looks like they're getting along." Lena said.

"Yeah. It's good to finally see them like this. Fareeha's been looking for her for years now. She needed this."

Lena and Angela relaxed slightly, seeing that there was no immediate danger to Fareeha. However, Lena soon tensed back up, seeing a group of people approaching the bench. They were approaching from both sides and Lena could tell they were up to no good.

"Who are these guys?"

Back on the ground, Fareeha and Ana had also noticed that they were being surrounded. They stood up, Fareeha instinctively walking in front of her mother. There were six of them, five guys and one girl. The girl was clearly uncomfortable being here, yet she still went along. One of the group pulled out a knife, stepping towards Fareeha and Ana.

"Okay, hand over your money." He said calmly, while the others made sure that no one else interfered.

Fareeha almost laughed. She wasn't prepared to give them anything. "No chance."

"Do what they say Faree."

Fareeha snapped to her mother, almost in disbelief. Even without any weapons, she knew they could take them, so why was she giving up?

"Trust me. They won't get far."

Fareeha listened, reaching into her pocket and pulling out her wallet. Ana did the same, pulling out a small purse and handing it over.

"Oi! Leave them alone!"

Lena blinked from around the corner, stopping in front of the gang. Angela floated down from the roof and joined her and the gang immediately realised who they were facing. They decided that they couldn't fight them and instead ran, heading down the nearest street. Lena went to chase after them, however Ana stopped her.

"Don't worry. They aren't going anywhere."

The six thieves ran a short distance away, turning into an alley and looked back briefly to see where Tracer was. When none of them could see her, they assumed she was heading another way. They continued to run down the alley and one of the group managed to get slightly ahead of the rest of them. He was totally unprepared for the sudden punch that hit him, causing him to fall backwards onto the floor.

The rest of the group stopped in their tracks, one helping the other back up, as the unknown individual revealed himself, walking out from the shadows. He was wearing a blue jacket and had some sort of rifle over his shoulder. Her also had a mask on that covered his face, with a clear red glow across it. They'd all heard the stories, the rumours of a masked vigilante. They all guessed who this man was.

Soldier 76.

"You have some things that don't belong to you."

"Get him!"

The five guys ran forward, arrogantly attempting to attack the man in their way. One of them was picked up and thrown down the alley. One received a fist to the face, making him tumble back slightly, while another was kicked in the leg, forcing them down to their knees. They were soon neutralised by a punch to the head, knocking them out.

Another attempted to land a punch on 76, yet he caught the fist in his hand and forced the attacker into the wall. The fifth was the man that had been hit to the floor originally and so he was still a little stunned. Soldier saw him approaching and threw the guy he currently held at him, causing both to crash into each other and fall to the floor.

Soldier now turned back around, seeing the first attacker approaching with a knife in their hand. He quickly dodged the attack, hitting their arm hard enough that they dropped the knife. He kicked it away and then grabbed he attacker in a headlock, twisting him around so that he was facing the rest of the group.

He stood staring at the remaining four threats, while he suffocated the one he had in the headlock. He analysed each one, seeing that the woman was petrified. He knew she wouldn't make a move, she wouldn't dare to.

Three threats left.

The man in the headlock finally passed out, no one attempting to help him through fear alone. Soldier had no intention to kill anyone, so he let him fall to the floor, satisfied he wasn't a threat anymore.

The three remaining guys ran forward, planning to overwhelm their target, however 76 was ready for this, dodging and blocking every attack they did. In the end, one slipped up and gave Soldier an opening, which he quickly exploited. One of the attackers was grabbed and pulled in front of another's punch, which ended up in his face. He was then thrown at the wall, impacting it heavily and then falling down, staying there while 76 focused the remaining two.

The remaining two were now getting tired, unable to keep up with 76. They soon found themselves unable to maintain their assault and soon began throwing punches wildly. One was caught, followed up by a knee to the stomach and a hit to the head. The last guy attempted to flee, yet 76 was having none of it, grabbing onto his shirt and pulling him back. One final hit was all it took to bring him down.

The woman was the only one of the group left standing. Soldier turned himself towards her and began slowly walking over. She looked around and noticed the knife, that had been kicked towards her earlier and her first reaction was to grab it. This didn't stop 76 from advancing though, not phased one bit by the weapon.

"Stop! Or I'll..."

The knife was suddenly gone, slapped away from her by 76. He now leaned forward, his red visor now inches away from her face.

"You'll do what exactly?"

The girl now broke down in tears. "I'm sorry. I didnt want to do it. They just talked me into it."

"Then maybe you should find some better friends. Now, get lost."

The girl quickly nodded, not wanting to anger 76 any further. She turned and ran out of the alley, not once looking back. With her gone, 76 turned and began looking for the items they stole, finding them on the second guy he knocked out. As he stood back up, he heard the distinct sound of Tracer's accelerator, turning around and seeing her blink into the alley. Ana, Fareeha and Angela appeared shortly after and everyone except Ana was surprised at the sight they saw.

"Nice work Jack." Ana said.

"Wait. Jack? Morrison?" Fareeha asked in disbelief.

Morrison chuckled, throwing the items he had back to their owners. "Long time no see Fareeha." He turned to the two Overwatch agents, nodding his head at them. "Doc. Oxton."

"I didn't think it was true." Angela said.

"Wait. You knew?"

"Winston had a suspicion, yet he couldn't confirm it." Lena informed Fareeha. "Now we know."

"Where have you been Jack? Overwatch isn't the same without you. You're our commander." Angela asked, trying her best to get him to return.

"I don't belong at Overwatch. It's better off without me."

Morrison turned and began to walk away, stepping over some of the unconscious men. He was stopped by Lena, who blinked in front of him.

"Ang is right, we could really use your help. You're a hero..."

"Not anymore."

With that, Morrison pushed past Lena, heading back towards the safe house him and Ana were currently using. Lena lowered her head in defeat, knowing that she wouldn't get through to him.

"Don't take it personally. He blames himself for what happened to Overwatch." Ana told her.

"It wasn't his fault though."

"I know. I think he knows it too. He still feels like he could have stopped it before it got as far as it did... I better get going."

"Will I see you again?" Fareeha asked, worry clear in her voice.

"Of course you will. I've been absent from your life for too long and I want to change that. I promise I'll keep in contact whenever I can. However, I can't stop fighting, not yet. Jack needs someone watching his back and there are people who still need protecting. I hope you understand."

"Don't worry mum. I understand."

The two Amari's shared a long hug, before they reluctantly separated.

"We'll meet again." Ana said, stepping backwards down the alley.

"Looking forward to it."

Everyone now began to head their separate ways. Fareeha, Angela and Lena walking to leave the alley. However, before they left, Ana spoke up one more time.

"Oh and Angela. Thank you for being there for my daughter."

Angela couldn't help but smile. Ana had obviously been keeping an eye on Fareeha all this time. "You're welcome, Ana."


	2. Curiosity

**Curiosity**

Watchpoint Gibraltar armoury

"I thought I told you not to touch anything."

The Bastion looked towards Torbjorn, tilting its head to the left. Torb had recently found the Bastion in northern Sweden and it had been following him around ever since. Torb had originally gone after the Bastion with the intention of destroying it. However, this Bastion was different. Instead of attacking on sight, it was peaceful, curious, almost like a child. This was completely against its original programming.

Since then, Winston had recalled Overwatch and Torb had brought the Bastion along with him, intending to work out how it had broke its programming. At first, the other agents were very wary of it, worried that it might attack at any given moment. As time went on though, everyone began to relax around it. The Bastion even brought along a bird, which Lena had decided to call Ganymede, for whatever reason that Torb didn't understand. Torb had given in to Lena and reluctantly bought it a cage, something the Bastion seemed to respond well to.

Despite everything though, The Bastion often managed to find a way to annoy Torb. At first, he was just following him and watching what he was doing. As time went on, it became more confident and began investigating the base, both with someone and alone. When it first walked off alone, it caused a slight panic at the base and everyone was quickly out searching for it. Winston eventually found it, investigating the mess hall and working out what was contained inside.

Since then, everyone had gotten used to it wandering off to some random part of the base and occasionally bothering someone, as they went about their daily tasks. In all honesty, everyone preferred it doing this, as it meant no one innocent would end up hurt. In the end, it seemed as if Genji and Lena were the only two agents who could keep up with the Bastion, often stopping what they were doing to check that it wasn't in any trouble and sometimes helping it out of the trouble it found itself in. Thankfully, it never tried to leave the base, much to everyone's relief. It seemed to understand that people were still scared of seeing a Bastion walking around.

Today was no exception to its curious behaviour. Right now, Torb had the Bastion connected to a computer using a long cable and was checking its systems to see what was causing it to act the way it was. He'd told it to sit still at the side of the armoury while the scan took place. However, the Bastion's curiosity had gotten the better of it. While Torb was searching for something in one of the storage rooms in the armoury, the Bastion had stood up and walked over to one of the many shelves in the main room, which was full of equipment. The sound of crashing equipment was followed by a loud sigh from Torb, knowing exactly what had happened.

Now Torb stood with his arms folded in disapproval, while the Bastion simply tilted its head and let out a few quiet bleeps, clearly meant to be some sort of apology.

Torb looked to the equipment on the floor, rolling his eyes. "At least nothing's damaged. Can you please sit back down while the scan finishes?"

The Bastion complied, stepping back towards the side of the room and then falling back into a sitting position. Ganymede now flew down from his cage, since the door was left open and landed on Bastion's hand. With Bastion distracted, Torb walked over to the computer and looked at the results of the scan, making a copy as he analysed what he saw.

"What? That can't be right..."

According to the scan, the Bastion's systems were all functioning correctly. However, somehow it's original programming wasn't active and some of the code seemed to be missing. After some further investigation, he found out that the code had been edited shortly after it came back online, something that concerned Torb greatly. Annoyingly, this scan didn't tell him exactly what he wanted to know, leaving him guessing at how the code was changed.

He looked back towards the Bastion, seeing it still watching Ganymede and began theorising how exactly the code had been changed. One theory was that without a God Program controlling it, the Bastion was able to think more for itself and managed to change its own purpose. It was also possible that the long period of deactivation meant it rebooted with different priorities. However, Torb honestly didn't think this theory was correct.

The second theory proved much more viable and also far more worrying. Someone, or something, had hacked it's way into the Bastion and then proceeded to alter its code, removing the original programming that made it attack on sight. This meant that either a God Program was still out there, or someone else had activated this Bastion for some other purpose. It also meant that someone could have a method of turning any deactivated Bastion back on, something Torb wasn't comfortable with. Having Bastions turn on at any given moment would likely lead to innocent lives being lost, whether intentional or not.

With no other way of telling what had fully happened, Torb made a mental note to have a word with Winston and see what he thought, before he walked over to the Bastion and pulled out the cable.

"Okay, I got what I need."

The Bastion nodded, followed by a tune of happy bleeps, before its attention returned to Ganymede. Clearly it was too interested with what the small bird was doing to move, so Torb simply left it alone, while he cleaned up the mess it caused.

Winston's Lab- 3 hours later

After Torb had finished cleaning up the armoury, he decided to work on a few upgrades he needed to do before paying a visit to Winston. He knew that Winston was also wondering how the Bastion reactivated and why it was acting in the unusual way it was. However, once Torb began to explain the situation, Winston thought it best to get everyone into the lab, so they could also hear what Torb had to say. Even the Bastion had come along, though it sat at the back of the lab with Ganymede, watching it fly around and land on it. The only exceptions were Lena and Angela, who were currently on their way back from Egypt. Once everyone was standing around the holographic table, on the lower level of the lab, Torb explained his findings.

"So, you're saying that you don't know why the Bastion is acting the way it is." Reinhardt said, believing he understood Torb's lengthy explanation.

"Pretty much." Torb replied. "All I know is that the coding that should be there isn't. For whatever reason, it's been removed and I don't know how or why."

"Does that mean it's dangerous then?" McCree asked, now a little weary of the hulking war machine sitting nearby.

"It's a Bastion, of course it's dangerous. The thing is, it's not acting like a Bastion. It's acting more like a child. Too curious for its own good and always ending up causing trouble."

"Perhaps it wishes to learn more about the world it lives in?" Genji suggested.

"Maybe. Even then, no Bastion showed any sign of doing this before. Why is this one doing it now?"

"The God Programs?" Winston suggested, trying his best to come up with something. "Maybe without one active, the Bastion gained free will."

"While it's possible, I don't think it would have been able to. Its original programming is gone, completely overridden. It may have free will but a Bastion should not be able to override its own programming. If this one managed to, something is very different about it."

"Newer model?" McCree offered, though the idea was quickly dismissed by Torb.

"There weren't any newer models."

"Maybe we cannot solve this ourselves." Genji said, looking towards the Bastion as it continued to watch Ganymede. "Perhaps we need another perspective."

"What do you have in mind?" Winston asked, sensing that Genji had thought of an idea.

"I believe that my master, Zenyatta, may have better luck understanding our Bastion friend and may be able to work out why it is acting as it is. I know that he is currently in Nepal, near the Shambali monastery. I suggest that I take the Bastion over to him and ask him to see what he thinks."

"Talk about dangerous Genji." McCree replied, within seconds of the suggestion. "We've all seen what that thing can do and you're talking about letting it go freely out of the base? What if it escapes?"

Before Genji could answer, Athena spoke up.

"Attention. Mercy and Tracer's dropship is approaching the watchpoint. ETA, two minutes."

"Thank you Athena." Winston said. "Please tell them to make their way over here once they've landed."

The dropship landed near the hanger a few minutes later and the two passengers made their way towards Winston's lab. Everyone turned to the door as they entered, seeing them both still dressed in their combat outfits and Angela holding her staff.

"Heya guys." Lena cheerfully said, totally unaware of the conversation that was taking place. "You won't believe the story we have... What's going on?"

"Torb doesn't know what's causing the Bastion to act the way it is. We're discussing what to do next." McCree replied, summing up the meeting as quickly as possible.

As Lena and Angela walked over to the table, Ganymede flew over, landing on Lena's arm. She gave the small bird a stroke. "Hey there little guy. So, you lot have any ideas?"

"Well, Genji suggested that we take it over to his master and see what he thinks. Other than that, no." Reinhardt answered.

"Actually, that probably isn't a bad idea." Angela said, placing her staff down against the table and joining the conversation. "Genji has told me a lot about Zenyatta and he may be able to see something we don't. However, letting the Bastion out of the base is extremely dangerous."

"Do not worry. After watching this Bastion for some time, I do not believe it will attempt to escape. I believe it has become something new and I think my master will be able to help discover what has truly happened."

Winston thought over the situation for a few moments, weighing up the pros and cons. In the end, he decided to trust Genji's judgement.

"Very well. Genji, contact Zenyatta and ask him if he can take a look at our Bastion. If possible, have him come to the watchpoint. Otherwise, escort the Bastion to him and keep an eye on it."

"I understand."

Everyone nodded at the decision, trusting that Winston knew what he was doing. With that out of the way, Winston turned to face Angela and Lena.

"So, what happened in Egypt?"

Angela thought for a moment, trying to work out how to best explain the situation. In the end, she decided there was no easy way and to just say it as it was. "It was Ana."

"What do you mean? Did Fareeha find something about her mother?" Reinhardt asked.

"More like she found her mother." Lena replied, interrupting Angela before she could explain.

"Wait. You mean... Ana's alive?"

Angela took back control of the conversation. "She is Reinhardt. Me and Lena both saw her. She wanted to show herself to Fareeha and start to make amends. Turns out we were also right about Soldier 76 being Jack, Ana confirmed it. Right now, she's travelling with him, keeping him covered while he does whatever he does."

Everyone went silent, taking in what they'd just been told. It was Reinhardt who finally broke the silence.

"All this time, we thought she was dead... Where has she been?"

"I don't know. All I know is that she felt like she failed... She saw Widowmaker and couldn't take the shot... It clearly affected her a lot."

"How's Fareeha?" Winston asked, knowing that Angela was close to her.

"She's fine. A bit shaken up by finding out Ana's alive but she's happy that she now knows. I think seeing each other and talking through what happened has helped them both move on. I just hope that Fareeha can grow closer to her mother again. She's been away for so long."

"Do you reckon Ana will come back to Overwatch?" McCree asked, hoping for a positive answer.

"I don't know. She might, though it will probably take some persuasion. She didn't seem completely against the idea, unlike Jack, yet I think she still has doubts... She needs time, maybe then she'll consider it."

The next day

Since that group meeting, Genji had contacted Zen and he'd agreed to see the Bastion. However, he did not agree to come to the watchpoint, saying that he was currently busy in Nepal and preferred the environment here for the meeting. Since it was a quiet area he was in, Genji and Winston agreed to fly the Bastion over to him.

Now Genji and Bastion were preparing for their trip, along with Ganymede, who had been flying around Bastion for quite some time, almost like it knew where Bastion was going.

"Are you sure you don't need any backup?" Winston asked Genji, as they approached the dropship.

"I am certain. I know the area my master is at. It is a peaceful place and there will be no need for armed agents there."

"I'll let you be on your way then. Good luck Genji."

"Thank you Winston."

Both Genji and Bastion boarded the dropship and it soon took off, heading towards Nepal. The trip was uneventful and Genji spent most of it meditating, while the Bastion simply sat, once again watching Ganymede and various screens inside the dropship.

The trip gave Genji time to observe the Bastion and he picked up on a few details. Firstly, it seemed like Ganymede and Bastion had formed some sort of connection. The two were almost never apart at the base. Secondly, it was naturally curious about everything. Even the smallest of details would be enough for it to investigate. Even now, the Bastion was watching Ganymede fly around as well as looking up and analysing the information on the screens. It even stood up and walked to Genji, sitting itself back down next to him. It clearly wanted to learn about the world.

Once the dropship touched down in Nepal, Genji wasted no time tracking down Zen, who was waiting for him in a small village, a short distance away from the Shambali monastery. It wasn't unusual for Zenyatta to be here, as he was still welcome at the monastery. Despite their differences, the Shambali still considered Zen a friend and always welcomed him back.

As Genji entered the small village, he was greeted by a number of familiar faces. This place was like a second home to him and no one judged him because of how he looked. He felt at peace here. After a few minutes, he found Zenyatta, who was floating in the centre of the village.

"Genji. A pleasure to see you again."

Genji bowed. "Hello master. I trust you are well."

"I am, thank you for asking. I notice that the Bastion is not with you."

"Indeed. I considered it too... risky to bring it along. A Bastion is not a common sight in the world. I did not want to cause a panic."

Just then, a group of young children ran into the area, running over to Genji with fear in their faces. Genji had passed by this group of children as they were playing and they all stopped to say hello to him. Something must have happened if they'd ran to find him.

"What is wrong, young one?"

"There's a Bastion! It's coming this way, towards the village!" A boy said, speaking on behalf of the group. People in the area began to talk amongst themselves, concerned by what the boy had just said.

Genji let out a sigh. He had told the Bastion to wait in the dropship and at first, it appeared to listen. Evidently, it had not.

"It seems fate has other ideas, my student." Zen said, slightly amused by this.

Genji now spoke to the villagers in the area. "Do not worry. This Bastion is with me and I assure you it is not to be feared."

"Are you sure?" A young girl from the group asked, not fully convinced.

"I am certain. Let me show you."

Genji walked towards the location of the Bastion, followed by Zenyatta. As he approached the edge of the village, numerous villagers watched as the Bastion came into view. It stopped short of entering the village, as it saw Genji walking towards him.

"I see you did not wait in the dropship then." Genji calmly said, which was followed by some bleeps from Bastion.

"It says it is sorry but it was worried something had happened to you." Zenyatta said, translating for the Bastion.

Genji chuckled, humbled that the Bastion was worried about him. "Do not worry, my friend. There is no harm done."

The Bastion bleeped again, as Ganymede flew from behind it and landed on the side of its arm.

"Perhaps we should take it into the village. It would show the villagers that there is nothing to be afraid of and give me chance to speak with it." Zen suggested, something that a few villagers, mostly the young ones, agreed with.

"Very well. Follow me Bastion."

Baston nodded its head, as it followed Genji further into the village. They stopped in the centre of the village, as numerous people surrounded them, all wanting to see the peaceful war machine. A few of the children, that were terrified earlier, were now running up to the Bastion, waving and smiling at it. They were rewarded with a wave in return from Bastion and the tone of the bleeps made it clear that it was happy that people weren't scared of it.

Zen sat himself down, followed by the Bastion, who leaned itself back and landed with a loud clunk. Genji sat himself nearby, watching as Zenyatta placed an orb of harmony on the Bastion. A number of children also walked closer, some sitting down next to the Bastion and watching as Zen went to work.

"How interesting. There is no anger present within this Bastion. In fact, I can sense its curiosity and want to learn about the world. This is very unusual... Tell me, how were you reactivated?"

The Bastion replied with a number of bleeps and robotic noises, which only Zenyatta understood.

"What did it say?" A young girl asked.

"It said it does not know, only that it happened. It also said that it's original programming activated and had it walking towards a city. However, something happened and it deactivated, letting it roam the world without a goal. It also has no idea how that happened."

Zen now turned to the children, which had sat down to listen to what was happening.

"Do any of you have any ideas what may have happened?"

The children all turned and spoke to themselves, before some told Zen their answers.

"Maybe a bird caused it to turn back on."

"Maybe someone else turned it back on."

"Maybe it was having a nap and it was disturbed."

Zenyatta let out a small chuckle upon hearing the third answer. "The mind of a child is truly wonderful. They are all indeed possibilities. Perhaps a bird did land on the Bastion and managed to start up a dormant system. Perhaps someone started up this Bastion for another purpose. Or maybe it was indeed just sleeping."

It was at this moment that Ganymede flew over to Zen, who held out his hand and let the small bird land on it. He began to gently stroke it and the bird responded with a few chirps.

"I can also sense that this bird and the Bastion have formed a connection. This creature feels safe around it... How intriguing. This is not what someone would normally expect from a Bastion."

"That would explain why it's always flying around it and why it's never left it's side." Genji said, as Ganymede flew back over to Bastion.

"Does it have a name?" A girl asked, watching the small bird as it chirped away on the Bastion.

"We call it Ganymede."

"A wonderful name." Zenyatta added, before removing the orb of harmony and returning to the matter at hand. "I can confirm that this Bastion has gained free will. During the crisis, the God Programs took them over and forced the other Bastion's to be bound by programming. However, this one does not have any programming present, letting it do as it wishes. This is... unexpected."

"Can you work out how this happened?" Genji asked.

Zen shook his head.

"Unfortunately, I cannot provide a definitive answer to your question Genji. No other Bastion's are currently alive, meaning there are no other examples to compare this one to. We are in uncharted territory. While I can give possibilities, I am sure you have already worked them out. I will need to spend more time with this Bastion before I can fully understand what may have happened... May I make a suggestion?"

"Of course."

"Perhaps this Bastion should spend some time traveling with me. I can continue to investigate what is going on in its mind, while also teaching it about the world. I was not planning to visit any major cities for some time and I was considering staying in this general area. There would be very little risk involved."

Genji turned to the Bastion and then back to Zen. In all honesty, this wasn't a bad idea. It would keep the Bastion out of trouble and they may find out what was truly going on inside it. However, Bastion had been at Gibraltar long enough for it to become part of the Overwatch family. He decided that this wasn't a decision he should make.

"I need to contact Overwatch before deciding."

"Of course. I am in no rush my student, take your time."

Genji stood and walked away from the group, moving towards the edge of the village again. When he was sure no one could hear him, Genji contacted Winston.

"Genji. How goes your mission?"

"I've encountered a problem. My master has confirmed that the Bastion has gained free will. However, he cannot determine exactly how this has happened."

"Does he have any idea?"

"A few. However, they are more or less the same ideas we came up with. He did give me a suggestion to overcome this obstacle."

"Which is?"

"He suggested that the Bastion stays with him for some time and travels around with him. This way, he can continue to investigate the true cause as well as teach it about the world it lives in."

Winston was silent for a few moments, clearly thinking over the proposal. "It would keep it out of trouble...What do you think?"

"I believe it is a good idea. As you just stated, it would keep it out of trouble. In the end, I believed your judgement was best in this situation."

Winston went silent again, thinking over the idea in great detail. After a couple of minutes, he made his decision.

"If Zenyatta is okay with it, then I think the Bastion should stay with him for a bit. Zen may very well be able to help it adapt to the world and may be able to answer our questions."

"Very well. I will inform my master. Genji out."

Genji ended the call and began to walk back towards the centre of the village. As he arrived, he saw that more villagers had come to see what was going on, yet most remained at a distance, still cautious of the Bastion. Genji pushed through a small crowd and saw that more children had sat nearby, all clearly interested in the Bastion. The parents were all clearly worried, yet they trusted Zen and Genji to keep them out of harms way.

"Ah Genji. I sense that you have made a decision." Zen said, as he noticed Genji return.

"Indeed master. Are you sure about having the Bastion join you for a while?"

Zen chuckled again. "Of course. I am curious to find out how this Bastion came to be here today and it is equally curious about the world around it. It makes sense for it to join me while I travel. What do you think Bastion?"

The Bastion turned its head to Zen, not expecting the question. It looked to Genji, then back to Zen, before communicating its answer.

"It also considers this the best idea. Though it does not want to abandon Overwatch, in case it is needed."

Genji nodded, moving over to the Bastion and placing a hand on it. "Do not worry my friend. If you are needed, I will contact my master. Does this put your mind at rest?"

The Bastion nodded.

"Very well. I will take my leave. Until we meet again."

Genji bowed to Zen and Bastion.

"Goodbye Genji." Zen placed his hands together and bowed in return. The Bastion bleeped a low tone and waved to Genji. As Genji turned and began the journey back to the dropship, Zen turned himself back to the Bastion.

"So, tell me about your adventures my friend."


	3. Behind the Mirror

**Behind the Mirror**

Talon dropship- Shortly after Sombra joined Talon

Sombra was still relatively new at Talon and had not yet made a name for herself within the organisation. For the most part, her tasks had been hacking into government agencies, high value businesses and extracting information, be it plans for buildings or incriminating information that allowed Talon to blackmail its targets.

It was only a few weeks ago that Sombra became a more active agent. Reaper had heard of her skills before joining Talon and knew that Sombra was capable of more. So, on his recommendation, the Talon leadership moved Sombra to active duty, accompanying other agents, usually Reaper or Widowmaker, on various missions.

At first, Talon questioned if Sombra was up to the task. However, after three missions, she had proved herself to be a valuable agent, her abilities as an infiltrator showing her worth to the Talon leadership. Now, after her third successful mission, Sombra was on a dropship, along with Reaper and Widowmaker, heading back to the nearest Talon base.

"Good work Sombra. Seems my gamble on you is paying off."

"Thanks for letting me prove myself. It's far more exiting being part of Team Talon instead of stuck behind a computer all day."

Reaper grumbled, turning towards a computer screen that sat at the front of the dropship. 'Team Talon.' The name that Sombra had given herself, him and Widowmaker. Why she gave the three of them that name was beyond him.

"Why do you insist on calling us that?"

"Come on. You like it really."

Reaper shook his head slightly, as he began looking through the terminal in front of him. Sombra meanwhile turned to the rear of the dropship, seeing Widow sat alone, with only her own thoughts to keep her company.

Sombra had tried a few times already to speak to the emotionless assassin, without much success. The most she'd managed to get from her was a few words, before she fell silent again. Widow was known to keep to herself most days and only really spoke to Reaper. Sombra intended to change that today.

She slowly walked over to Widow, sitting herself down next to her. Widow briefly looked over to Sombra, almost dreading the conversation that she would undoubtedly attempt to start, before looking away.

"Hey Widow..."

"No."

"What? You don't even know what I was going to say."

"You were about to ask me some pointless question you could likely find the answer to yourself. Why are you even talking to me? Just leave me alone."

Sombra sighed. Widow was often like this, most of the time just telling her to get lost and stop bothering her.

"Look, I know you don't really like talking to... well anyone but you must get lonely. Surely you must want a friend to talk to."

"Not really. I prefer it this way." Widow replied dryly.

"I don't think that's true. Everyone needs a friend, even you."

"Who'd want to be friends with me, an emotionless assassin?"

"I'm talking to you, aren't I? Just give me a chance."

Widow didn't reply, looking away slightly as she thought. She couldn't help but admit Sombra had a point. Sometimes, despite everything, Widow just wanted someone she could have a normal conversation with. Most of the Talon soldiers simply saw her as an object rather than a person. Reaper was the only person she could really call a friend. Even then, perhaps it was because he knew her before Talon. She couldn't remember, thanks to what Talon did to her but perhaps that was the reason she felt slightly more comfortable talking with him. Maybe it was time to allow someone else in.

Sombra meanwhile couldn't tell what Widow was thinking, her emotionless face not revealing anything. Eventually, after a short wait, Widow gave her answer.

"Fine. What do you want to talk about?"

Talon base- Austria- One hour later

The rest of the trip had been rather uneventful, with Reaper busy on the dropship terminal, while Sombra and Widow talked about various subjects. Once they landed, Reaper was almost immediately off the dropship, heading off to give his report on the mission. This left Widow and Sombra with some time to kill.

In the end, they both agreed to find something to eat and began heading towards the mess hall. Sombra was feeling quite pleased with herself. She'd managed to get Widow to have a relatively normal conversation and she hadn't told her to get lost yet. Widow also seemed to be a bit happier than usual, so Sombra thought she was doing well.

However, once they entered the mess hall, Widow soon found herself back in a bad mood, as a group of three Talon soldiers walked over to her.

"Hey good looking..." The leader of the group began, before being cut off by Widow.

"How many more times do I have to say no before you get the message?" Widow spat back, venom clear in her voice.

"I think you'll change your mind." The trooper returned, not at all phased by Widow's tone of voice. "You'll see."

The trooper turned and walked away, along with his two friends. Widow went to move forward, fists raised ready to attack but was stopped by Sombra, who placed an arm in front of her to stop her advance.

"Don't do something you'll regret."

"I wouldn't regret it." Widow replied, as she watched the solider collect his food and sit down at a table.

"How about I grab us some food and we go somewhere else?" Sombra suggested, seeing that the soldier was winding Widow up.

Widow stood for a few moments, continuing to stare at the soldier, not that he cared. Eventually, she looked away, nodding at Sombra in agreement. Sombra picked up two plates of food, before following Widow out of the mess hall. The two walked the short distance to Widow's quarters, both stepping inside and taking a seat in front of a small desk.

"So." Sombra began, taking a mouthful of her food as she spoke. "What's the deal with that soldier. You looked like you wanted to kill him."

"Not kill. Just fatally wound."

Sombra had to look up from her food to see if Widow was joking. From the look she gave her, Sombra guessed Widow wasn't.

"What's he done?"

"He keeps trying to get my attention, thinking I'll be interested in him. Every time I say no, he just seems to keep going, being edged on by the other soldiers. I've had this for a while now and I'm getting sick of it. All the soldiers seem to only see me as an object."

"Why not complain about it then?" Sombra asked.

"I already have. Nothing's happened. He isn't the first person to do this and he won't be the last. Talon don't care... not unless someone gets hurt. Then they'll care."

"You don't need to attack him you know." Widow looked toward Sombra with a raised eyebrow, as she opened up her computer. "Why attack someone when you can scare them to death instead?"

A large smile quickly creeped across Widow's face, as a picture of the troublesome soldier appeared on Sombra's computer. She quickly realised what Sombra was talking about and she very much liked this idea.

"Okay. What dirty little secret is he hiding?"

The next day- 12:15

Widow was sat in the mess hall, waiting for the solider who was bothering her to arrive. While she waited, she was playing with a small piece of paper, kindly given to her by Sombra, who was sitting two tables behind her. As fate would have it, Sombra had found some dirt on the trooper, as well as his friends and Widow knew exactly what she was going to do with it.

After a few more minutes, the soldier, along with his two friends, entered the mess hall. They quickly saw Widow and once they had collected their food, walked over to her.

"Hey there beaut..."

"Don't even bother." Widow said, cutting off the soldier before he could finish.

"Well, someone's in a bad mood." The trooper returned, before noticing the small piece of paper Widow was holding. "What's that you got there?"

Widow smirked at the trooper, as she held the paper up in front of her. "This? This is something I managed to find out about some of my colleagues. Would you like to know what it says?"

The way Widow spoke worried the three soldiers in front of her. They quickly guessed that whatever was on the paper related to them and that couldn't be good. Slowly, the one trooper reached out and grabbed the paper, unfolding it and reading through what was written. He didn't get more than a third of the way down before he stopped, looking up at Widow.

"How did you..?"

"I have powerful friends. You should have listened to me the first time. You all should have."

The other two troopers now looked at the document in front of them, realising what it was. A document, which had their names, along with a secret. A dark secret for each of them, that they all wanted to forget. If this got out, it was safe to assume they wouldn't be around for long. Talon troops may be cruel but they still had morals. On top of that, below each soldier's entry was a name. A target.

"Let me make one thing clear." Widow said, now having the full attention of the three troublesome soldiers. "I don't make empty threats. Most of the time I won't even make a threat, so count yourselves lucky. I know if that secret gets out, you're all finished at Talon. The other soldiers will tear you apart for what you did. However, I also found three names. Three people that are very important to you three. A son, a daughter and a sister. It would be a shame if I had to pay them a visit, wouldn't it?"

The three soldiers slowly nodded, realising they were beaten. "That won't be necessary, ma'am."

"Good. Now, get out of my sight."

The three soldiers listened, leaving the mess hall without delay. Widow couldn't help but feel a small amount of satisfaction from that encounter. She could still hand this note over to Reaper, who would likely jump at the opportunity to shoot them there and then. However, she decided against it, liking the power she now held over the three soldiers.

Once the soldiers were gone, Sombra moved tables, sitting down opposite Widow.

"So?"

"Looks like they won't be bothering me again."

Sombra smiled. "See? If you hold the information, you hold all the cards. You have to admit that was a little fun."

"It was defiantly... amusing to see them squirm. Usually they wouldn't shut up. Thank you."

"No problem. So, does this mean we're friends?"

Widow thought over Sombra's question for a moment. "I suppose it does."

Several months later- Two days before the Numbani Museum Operation

"Where is she?" Reaper grumbled, folding his arms and impatiently tapping his foot. "It doesn't take this long for them to do her checkup."

"Relax Gabe. I'm sure she's on her way. She's probably just been caught up by Moira or something." Sombra replied, busy typing away on her computer, as she and Reaper waited for Widow.

Reaper thought for a moment. Every year, Widow had at least two checkups to make sure that all the tech placed inside her was working correctly. Reaper even ended up dragged into it every once in a while, being asked if he had any recommendations regarding her. However, by now they should be finished and Widow should be here. Widow was only ever late when Talon delayed her and he also knew Moira wasn't at the base. So the fact Widow wasn't here meant something must have happened.

"Not likely, Moira isn't even at this base." Reaper said, as he stopped tapping his foot. "Why are you even here anyway? You're not part of this op."

"No but I did find some information that'll help you two out. So I thought I'd show it to you before you both left."

Sombra opened her computer and Reaper walked over, leaning in to see what she had found. However, before Sombra could begin going through her findings, a loud scream was heard through the base. Sombra and Reaper looked at each other, before Reaper walked to the door and opened it.

Outside the room was a small area, where off duty troopers often sat and relaxed. However, right now they were far from relaxed, many stood up and on their radios, trying to find the source of the scream.

"What the hell was that?" Reaper asked the closest trooper to him.

"Don't know sir. Radio chatter's a mess."

A second howl echoed through the area and the troopers became more on edge, a few reaching for their weapons.

"Someone find Reaper, now!" A soldier shouted through the radio.

The trooper quickly handed his radio to Reaper.

"Reaper here. What the hell is going on?"

"Widowmaker's gone mad sir. She's attacking a sergeant and we can't stop her."

A third scream was heard, which everyone now knew was the sergeant screaming out in pain. Reaper grumbled, as Sombra walked up next to him, clearly worried about what was happening.

"Where is she?"

"Outside the command centre."

"I'm on my way. Sombra, with me." Reaper threw the radio back to the trooper, before walking off, Sombra following close by.

When they reached the command centre, several troopers had surrounded the area, one trying to pull Widow off the sergeant, only for them to be kicked back by her. Widow's hands, as well as the side of her outfit, were red with blood, as she punched the soldier again and again.

Reaper pushed through the crowd, quickly walking to Widow and grabbing her right arm. Widow reacted by releasing her grip on the soldier and turning her body to Reaper, intending to fight whoever was trying to stop her. Reaper was expecting this reaction though and quickly caught her other arm.

Once she saw Reaper, Widow began to calm down. The troopers surrounding them stood in silence, amazed at how quickly Reaper had managed to defuse the situation. After standing for a few minutes, Reaper could see that most the anger had drained from Widow.

"Can I let go?"

Widow nodded and Reaper let go of her arms.

"What made you nearly kill this guy?" Reaper asked.

"You didn't hear what he ordered me to do." Widow returned, turning to the sergeant with anger present in her eyes again. The trooper tried to move away, yet he groaned out in agony and soon stopped trying.

"What did he tell you to do?"

Widow turned back to Reaper, leaning in slightly and speaking quietly, so no one else could hear her.

"He ordered me to sleep with him... I know Talon doesn't care but I've had enough of being treated like crap. So I took matters into my own hands."

Reaper didn't say anything for a moment, before turning around to the crowd behind him.

"Sombra, take Widow back to her quarters."

The crowd parted, letting Widow walk through. Sombra went to place her arm around Widow but decided against it at the last minute. Once the two had left, Reaper knelt down next to the sergeant, who was still on the floor, groaning in agony.

"Is it true?"

The soldier didn't try to hide it, nodding his head. As a medic stepped forward from the crowd, Reaper stood up, moving himself away from the injured soldier and in front of the rest of the troopers.

"It appears there's an issue with people giving Widowmaker crap. So let me make this clear. Keep pissing Widowmaker off and she'll end up snapping. That's what's happened today and this idiot's lucky to be alive. So, since this is a big problem, I'll say this once and only once. Leave Widow alone or you'll have me to deal with... and unlike Widow, no one will step in to stop me. Is that understood?"

Everyone present nodded, some saying "yes sir" as Reaper stared them down.

"Good. Now get lost and make sure that everyone knows that."

The crowd quickly dispersed, the message clearly received. Now Reaper had the sergeant to deal with.

"How bad?" He asked the medic, who was busy looking over the crippled soldier.

"Pretty bad. He has at least three broken ribs. Both his legs are broken and at least one arm as well."

"Leave us."

The medic stood up. "Sir?"

"Leave us. This never happened. Understand?"

The medic looked down to the sergeant, who was too busy groaning in pain to hear the conversation. He knew exactly what Reaper was about to do.

"Completely sir."

The medic picked up his bag and promptly left, leaving Reaper with the sergeant. Due to his injuries, he decided to send an even stronger message.

Widowmaker's quarters- 10 minutes later

Sombra was sat in Widow's quarters, tapping her fingers against the desk she was sat next to. She was currently waiting for Widow to emerge from her bathroom, after going inside to clean herself up.

After waiting for a short time, Widow finally appeared. Her hands were no loner red with blood and her outfit was back to its normal colour. Slowly, she walked over to the desk, taking a seat opposite Sombra.

"What happened Widow? Why did you attack him?" Sombra asked, leaning forward as she spoke.

"He went too far." Widow replied. "He ordered me to do something and I refused."

"Must have been a bad order if you nearly killed him."

Widow didn't comment, placing her arm on the desk and then resting her chin in her hand. Sombra couldn't tell if Widow was worried or not, her lack of emotions made her difficult to read. However, since she wasn't speaking much at all, Sombra knew that this was affecting her.

Just then, the door opened and Reaper stepped inside the room. He closed the door and then walked over to the two women.

"Three broken ribs, a broken arm and two broken legs. You really did a number on him."

Widow stood from her chair, intending to defend herself. "I already told you..."

"You don't have to explain. Frankly, I don't blame you at all, especially after that."

"She's not in trouble, is she?" Sombra asked, still unsure what exactly had been said to Widow.

"No. I gave everyone a harsh warning and told them to leave her alone. As for that sergeant... let's just say he won't be a problem anymore."

"Is he dead?" Widow asked, slightly worried that this would come back to haunt her.

"No. He's alive. Even though I don't think he'll be doing anything like this again, I'll move him to another facility. I doubt you'll want to see him again. Now, go get your equipment. We have a gauntlet to steal."

Widow nodded, putting on a small smile. "Thank you Gabriel." With that, she walked out the room and towards the armoury, a couple of troopers outside stopping to salute her as she passed by them.

Reaper turned to leave, intending to meet Widow at the dropship. However, before he could leave the room, Sombra grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"Don't lie to me. You killed him, didn't you?"

Reaper reached for the door handle, gently closing the door in front of him. He then turned himself to face Sombra.

"Remember our agreement Sombra. As far as Widow is concerned, that sergeant will be moved to another facility. She doesn't need to know what really happened."

Sombra sighed in response. "Fine. I won't tell her."

"Has she revealed anything?"

"No. Nothing new to report."

"Very well. Send me that intel you found as me and Widow leave."

Reaper opened the door and walked out the room, leaving Sombra alone with her thoughts. She knew that Reaper cared about Widow, that's why he did what he did. She also knew that he trusted her, since he was the reason why she was put on active duty. Yet, she was never sure about his true motives.

After standing for a few minutes, Sombra shook herself back to reality. She walked out of Widow's quarters and closed the door behind her, turning towards her own quarters, which were a short distance away.

Two days later- After the museum operation

The operation was a complete disaster. Winston and Tracer had managed to stop Talon acquiring the Doomfist gauntlet. After this failure, security had been tightened and getting the gauntlet would now be a lot harder.

That was a matter for another time though. Reaper and Widow's dropship had landed a short time ago and Sombra was on her way towards it, after being contacted by Reaper before they arrived.

When Sombra arrived, several Talon engineers were looking over the dropship, examining the damage it had taken after the escape from Numbani. The damage wasn't bad, yet it was enough to warrant attention.

"Hey Gabe. No gauntlet then?" Sombra said, as she leaned against a nearby wall.

"Not now Sombra." Reaper grumbled in reply, not in the mood for Sombra's sarcasm. "We have a problem. Something's wrong with Widow."

Sombra's attitude changed immediately, leaning up from the wall and stepping closer to Reaper, so no one else could hear the conversation.

"What do you mean?"

"She took a big hit back at the museum and since then she doesn't seem herself. She stormed off back to her quarters before I could say anything... Go check she's okay."

Sombra didn't argue, turning and heading back the way she came. If Reaper was worried, then something serious must have happened. She quickly reached Widow's quarters and gently knocked the door. She didn't need to try it to know it was locked.

"Widow. It's me. Gabe said you took a heavy hit. You okay?"

There was a short silence, before a reply was heard.

"Not now Sombra."

Sombra could tell something wasn't right and couldn't help but agree with Reaper. Widow sounded off and her normal confidence wasn't present. There was clearly something bothering her.

"Widow, what's wrong? I can tell that something isn't right."

There was a sigh from the other side of the door, followed by an uncomfortable silence. Sombra turned around and leaned against the door, wondering if Widow would actually open it.

"Come on Widow. You can talk to me."

Sombra waited for another two minutes, only for there to be no movement behind the door. She leaned up from the door, accepting defeat. However, as she was about to walk away, she heard the door unlock and gently open. Sombra quickly stepped inside, letting Widow close the door and lock it again.

"Okay, what's going on Widow? You're acting very..."

Sombra stopped when Widow turned herself around. Her makeup around her eyes was smudged and there was a tear running down her right cheek.

"Have you been crying?"

Widow gently nodded, wiping away the tear.

"What happened?"

Widow walked over to her bed and sat herself down, leaving room for Sombra to to sit next to her. Unusually, Widow wasn't as confident as she usually was, debating whether or not telling Sombra was a good idea. Eventually, she found her confidence, suspecting that Sombra would find out even if she didn't tell her.

"Me and Gabriel were attacked by Tracer and Winston. The whole op was a disaster, they were both waiting for us, ready to defend the gauntlet. I won't go into all the details but Gabriel was keeping them both distracted, giving me the chance to grab the gauntlet. I had it right in front of me... I looked away for one second, firing at the enemy to help Gabriel. When I looked back, the gauntlet was gone."

Sombra remained quiet, not making any smart remarks, as she listened to Widow's story. She just nodded her head, signalling that Widow could continue.

"There were two children at the museum when we attacked... While we were busy fighting Overwatch, one managed to sneak up and take the gauntlet when I was distracted. Before I could find him, the other called out and I looked over towards him... The next thing I knew, I was hit by the gauntlet and sent flying backwards."

"Is that what's bothering you?" Sombra asked.

"No... After I got back to the dropship, I started having... visions. Images flashing through my head. I don't know why but I felt... sad after seeing them... At least I think it was sadness."

"What were these images?"

"A man... They were different every time but the same man was always in them."

Sombra opened her computer and began typing away, soon bringing up an image.

"Was it this man?"

Widow glanced at the image briefly, not needing to look more than a few moments.

"Oui. That's him."

Sombra closed her computer. "You already know who he is, don't you?"

"Oui. He's Gerard Lacroix... My husband... The man Talon made me kill before I became what I am now."

"Yeah... I'm... I'm sorry Widow."

There was a moment of silence between the two women, before Widow spoke again.

"I know you've read my files... So tell me. Do you know what's happening to me? Do you know what these visions are?"

Widow was correct, Sombra had indeed read her files and she had a very good idea what was happening to her. What Widow didn't know was what was going through Sombra's head right now.

She sat for a moment, debating what to do. She didn't know why exactly but Sombra couldn't help but feel sorry for Widow. She'd been through hell and ended up what she was today. She knew that telling Widow would change everything but Widow was her friend. In fact, Widow was the closest thing she had to a real friend for years now.

Sombra had spent a lot of her life alone, believing that she was better off that way. In a way, she saw a little of herself in Widow, since she seemed to close herself off and not let anyone in. She'd always been out for herself, after all, joining Talon was mainly to further her own goals as well as make a little extra on the side. However, now that she was sat here next to Widow, something changed in her. She saw a woman who was vulnerable and needed someone there for her. So, for the first time in her life, Sombra decided to use her abilities for good.

She decided to help Widow.

She looked around the room, pulling out her computer and performing a scan for any bugs. Once she was satisfied, she closed her computer, turning herself to face Widow.

"It's your conditioning. It's always been steadily degrading. That's why Talon have you checked over ever six months, to make sure it's still stable. From what I gathered, it was fine when you left for Numbani and Talon didn't consider anything needed to be done. However, if you were hit by something very powerful, it might be enough to cause something to snap..."

"The gauntlet..." Widow muttered, understanding where Sombra was going.

Sombra nodded. "If you're having visions of Gerard, then it's likely that your conditioning has just begun to crack, thanks to that hit from the gauntlet."

Widow placed a hand agaisnt her head, taking in what she just heard. She'd never really known how her conditioning worked, as Talon made sure to keep it a secret from her and she never really cared. Not until now.

"My conditioning... How does it work?"

Sombra stopped to think for a second, trying to find a way to best describe it. "You know how Talon has been physically conditioning you? Lowering your heart rate, changing your eyes and increasing your reflexes to make you the perfect assassin."

Widow nodded.

"Well, they did a lot more than just that. They twisted your mind and repressed your memories, filling your head with everything Talon wanted you to know instead. Think of it like a dam. On the one side are your repressed memories, your old life. On the other are your current memories, those which Talon gave you, your training as well as any memories you've gained while at Talon. As time went on, the dam would gradually begin to crack but Talon always made sure it remained standing. The hit from the gauntlet has likely sped up that process and the cracks in the dam are now much larger. Due to this, your old memories are beginning to come through."

"Will I remember everything?"

"In time, I think you will. I'm not going to pretend that I'm an expert at this but I'm pretty sure, once your conditioning has completely broken down, you'll remember everything. At that point, you'll have a choice to make."

Widow toon a deep breath. "What choice?"

"I want you to be completely honest with me. If you had the choice to leave Talon, if you could leave all of this behind, would you take it?"

Widow thought for a moment, before she answered. "Oui. I would."

Sombra nodded. "Then I have another question. Do you want me to help you escape?"

Widow was slightly taken back by that question. "You'd do that? You have no reason to help me... Why?"

"Because that's what friends do."

Widow thought over this proposition. She was taking a big risk trusting Sombra of all people. The two were friends, yet everyone at Talon had their own reasons for being here. In the end though, Widow had nothing left to lose. She had to try.

"Yes. Help me escape."

"Okay. I'll come up with some plans. You're in the early stages, so we still have a while before your conditioning starts breaking down dramatically. For now, keep all of this hidden and don't tell anyone else. Give me a week or two and then we'll discuss what I have so far. Sound good?"

"Yes... okay. Thank you Sombra."

"Don't worry about it. Now, I'll let you get some rest. You look like you got hit by a train."

Widow chuckled at that comment, giving Sombra a weak smile. "It certainly felt like I did."

Sombra left the room, gently closing the door behind her. She wasn't able to get far, before she bumped into Reaper.

"How is she?"

"She's fine. That hit just made her a bit cranky. Nothing to worry about."

Reaper took a quick look around and once he was sure no one else was around, continued on. "What about her conditioning?"

"You and me both know that it's slowly breaking down. Eventually, it'll crack. For now though, nothing's changed."

After acknowledging the answer, Reaper continued the way he was going. Sombra wasn't about to tell Reaper everything she knew. Despite their 'agreement' she didn't know what exactly his response would be, or what his true motives were. It was too big a risk to take.

Meanwhile, Widow had walked into her bathroom, stepping in front of the sink and running the cold water, splashing some into her face. She looked up at the mirror above the sink, looking at the image in front of her. She tried her best to think back to a time before Talon. There was nothing. Just a haze, along with gaps in her memories. After splashing some more water in her face, Widow turned off the flow of water and reached for the nearby towel, drying off her face.

Once she was dry, Widow placed the towel back down and proceeded to walk out of the bathroom, intending to get some sleep. However, as she reached the bathroom door, she suddenly stopped, turning her head as she heard a whisper.

"Widow."

She heard her name whispered another two times before she finally walked back into the bathroom. She slowly walked towards the source of the whispers and stopped in front of the mirror. When she saw herself though, the image wasn't her. Instead, the reflection had much shorter hair and her eyes were dark red.

As Widow stood in front of the mirror, she swore she saw the reflection smirk at her and she heard a quiet chuckle from it. As she continued to state at this image, Widow felt herself become enrage by the sight of it. Without even thinking about it, Widow raised her right arm and punched the mirror, gritting her teeth in anger. The image immediately disappeared, and her reflection returned to normal as the mirror cracked and shattered into pieces.

Widow removed her hand from the mirror, letting the shards of glass fall away. Luckily for her, Talon had replaced all the mirrors in her quarters with ones that had specialist glass, since Widow had destroyed three others in different bases. After standing for a few seconds, Widow's anger vanished. She turned and walked out of the room, wiping off a few small bits of glass that remained on her hand.

Whatever that image was, Widow was certain that it wouldn't stand in her way. No one would. She was determined to remember who she was.

 _To be continued._

 _Authors note_

 _Well, that's it for this story. Hope you enjoyed it. If you want to know what happens next, then feel free to check out my other story, Human, which is the next one in this series. :)_


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